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Over a period of almost 16 years, millions of dollars intended for Holocaust survivors instead found its way into the pockets of corrupt employees of the Claims Conference and an elaborate network of fraudsters,
The money came from two funds managed by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany, also known as the Claims Conference, a nonprofit that was established almost 60 years ago to assist those harmed by Nazis. The Claims Conference distributes more than $400 million a year from funds provided by the German government to victims of the Holocaust.
Six of the 17 people charged Tuesday with fraud and conspiracy are former and currant employees of the Claims Conference. Semen Domnitser the "ringleader" of the fraud for more than 10 years served as the director and oversaw both the Hardship Fund and the Article Two Fund.
The Hardship Fund makes one-time payments of about $3,600 to victims who were forced to leave their homes while fleeing advancing Nazis troops. ...some 5,000 fraudulent applications worth $18 million were processed through the fund.
The Article Two Fund gives pension payments of roughly $411 a month to those who earn less than $16,000 after taxes and spent a minimum of six months in a concentration camp or at least 18 months in a Jewish ghetto in hiding or living under a false identity to avoid the Nazis. This fund had processed over 650 fraudulent applications worth more than $25.5 million.
...applicants were recruited from the Russian-Jewish community and that fake birth dates, birthplaces and "fabricated stories of persecution, completely made up stories about what happened to these individuals during World War II," were written in their applications.
...the investigation continues and that some of the thousands of applicants also might be charged. It was unclear in some cases if the applicants knew that fraud was being committed.